Blurred Memories
by Kami-Kyun
Summary: When the Pharaoh has reclaimed his memories and is about to rejoin his family and friends in the afterlife, something shakes his world violently, leaving to wonder if he will ever be the same again. No yaoi, post-series.
1. Chapter 1

The young boy lay on his knees, shaking with tears. "Yugi," a soft voice said comfortingly while placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't be on your knees, you won, you should be happy."

Yugi sniffled. He raised his head to look his Yami in the eyes. "How can I? It's all over, and I won't get to see you anymore!" His head fell, and the tears started flowing faster now. "Aibou, I'll never really leave, I'll still be with you in spirit." Yami assured the younger boy, pulling Yugi's chin up so he could look in his eyes.

"But it's not the same!" Yugi cried, throwing himself in Yami's arms. Yugi kept crying, thoroughly wetting Yami's shirt. "Shh, Aibou," Yami whispered, stroking Yugi's hair. "It will be alright. You've become stronger with me here, and I know that if I'm still here, I'll just hold you back from your true potential. You've surpassed me Yugi."

Yugi bit his lip, trying not to cry. "Say your true name, and the doors will open!" said Ishizu. Yami walked in front of the doors that would grant him access to the afterlife. "My name is Atem!" he said with confidence. The whole room shook, and the doors slowly opened, revealing a blinding light coming from whatever was behind them.

"Don't ever forget us okay?" Anzu said through her tears. "We'll always be friends!" Jounouchi shouted happily even though he was tearing up as well. Yami smiled and nodded his head. He started walking towards the opening in the door.

_No…no, it can't end like this…! _Yugi quickly brought himself to his feet and ran towards the pharaoh. Yami heard Yugi's footsteps and turned around but barely got a glimpse of him and Yugi ran into the gap in the door. "What? Yugi, wait!" Yami yelled and raced towards the doors, but a dark shape pressed him backwards. "Yugi! Wait!" Yami got to the doors, but it was too late. The doors were closed and Yugi was gone.

Everyone stood around the doors in shock. What had just happened? Yami was still in the present, but _Yugi _had gone to the afterlife. Yami walked towards the doors again, and said, "My name is Atem." The doors didn't open. "I said, my name is Atem!" Yami started pounding on the doors, repeating his name over and over again, trying to get the doors to open back up.

"Atem, stop!" Marik grabbed Yami's shoulders and pulled him away from the doors. "The doors only open once for each person. You can't open the doors again, I'm sorry." Yami broke away from Marik's grip and slumped to the stone floor. His mind was blank except of the thought, _How could I have let him do that? I could have stopped him, I could have!_

But couldn't think even that for too long because Yami felt a breeze go by, then a cold arm wrapped around his throat. "Wha-" Yami said but was cut off by a silver knife that was pressed to his lips.

"Anyone moves and he's dead!" said someone from above Yami's head. _I know that voice…_

"Bakura!" Jounouchi shouted. "I thought you were gone for good!"

"Bakura, let him go!" Anzu's voice.

"Ha! Why should I? He only just _ruined _all of my plans!" Bakura pressed the knife harder on Yami's mouth.

"Bakura, how are you even here!?" Marik asked. "The pharaoh killed you in his memories!"

"Yes of course he did, I was there! I remember! But you should know better than anyone else where souls go when their bodies are discarded, _Tombkeeper_. Hm, let's take a guess. Anyone?" Bakura looked around at the circle of people. No one offered any guesses. "Oh well, I guess I'll just tell you. When a soul is prepared to go to the afterlife, it must go through a little _test_ if you will, to determine if it gets to continue its' journey to the afterlife."

"This test is where the lord of the dead, Anubis, will weigh your sins against the feather of righteousness on a scale. And if your soul is clean, you get to continue to the afterlife. But, if your sins fall on its' side of the scale, your soul is devoured by Ammit, Anubis's pet demon. As you can imagine, there is quite a long waiting line to get to this test, what with so many people dying every day. I was in that line, but I escaped and took a 'shortcut' to the afterlife. Then I just had to find the exit, which were these doors, and wait for an opportunity to get out. Any more questions?"

"Yes," Ishizu said stepping towards Bakura. "Why are you here now? You could have just stayed in the afterlife and had a peaceful rest of eternity."

Bakura looked down at Yami and grinned. "Well, like any good villain, I had to get my revenge." Yami's eyes went wide.

"Bakura, please wait! We can negotiate here." Ishizu said.

"Negotiate? Ha!" Bakura scoffed. "You have nothing I want!"

"I beg to differ," Marik said. "Atem going back to the afterlife was a special case, he had trapped his soul in the Millennium Items and was able to manipulate the Items to get in. You, on the other hand, are just a soul that has come to the realm of the living without a means to travel back to the afterlife. In short, you're trapped here now."

Bakura's eyes widened. "But I'm sure that if you release Atem, we can figure something out." Marik said. Bakura glared at Marik, and Marik looked back with a cold stare. "Tch," Bakura grumbled and let Yami fall onto the stone. Jounouchi ran up to him and pulled him away from Bakura. "Fine! You've got me then!" No one moved. "Well, what do you want me to say?! 'I'm at your mercy, please spare me?' Because that is never going to happen!"

In truth, no one really knew what to do. They had all thought that it was going to be over after this. Atem goes to the afterlife, and everyone else would get on the boat back to Japan. That's it. No one had expected this. Rishid stepped forward and grabbed Bakura's arms and led him up the stone stairs to the cars that they had arrived in. He didn't protest.

Everyone else followed them, Marik and Yami bringing up the end. "I'll follow you out, I…I want to-" Yami struggled for words. Marik placed his hand on Yami's shoulder. "I'll be waiting at the top of the stairs." Marik whispered, a knowing smile on his face. He turned around and started towards the stairs. When Marik's feet disappeared from Yami's sight, he turned and walked up the steps to the doors of the afterlife. He walked around the rubble that was once the Millennium Tablet, it and the Items that it held sunken into the ground. He blinked and continued towards the doors. He placed a hand on them, and after a moment of silence, he whispered, "I'll be back, and I'll rescue you. No matter how long it takes." Yami closed his eyes and swallowed a sob. "I promise."


	2. Chapter 2

"Yugi, wait!" were the last words that Yugi heard before the doors slammed shut, blocking him from Yami and the rest of his friends. _I'm sorry everyone. Don't worry. It's going to be better this way._ _Well, as long as I'm here, I might as well take a look around. _The first thing that he noticed was the white light that was almost blinding. As his eyes adjusted, he could see that there was a long hallway in front of him, similar to the halls in the Pharaoh's palace. He started walking down the hallway, noticing the beautiful carvings and hieroglyphs engraved on the walls. The vaulted ceilings and shining stone floors gave Yugi a serene feeling, almost like he was dreaming.

When he reached the end of the hallway, he was standing on a platform that had steps that were halfway submerged in a small water garden. Occupying the garden were soft pink and white water lilies floating in the blue-green water, a small waterfall in the corner that was framed by stones of varying size and color, and Lilly-pads connected to the bottom of the pond by wavy green stems. Yugi also noticed that brightly colored fish were silently swimming through the waters, their presence revealed by the bubbles that floated to the surface. He looked up and saw the bright sun shining down, and averted his eyes.

Upon doing this, he saw that three of the walls had thin wooden benches suspended above the water, and on top of one, was a white towel. _Why would a towel be here?_ Yugi thought, looking around. And he saw, in the midst of his gazing, he had missed one important part of the garden. A young woman, with long brown hair, was relaxing next to the waterfall. She was naked except for a white slip that hung loosely around her shoulders. She almost looked asleep. Not wanting to wake her, Yugi started to back up into the hallway, but the girl's eyes flitted open.

"Hey, who's there?" She looked around and her gaze fell on the tips of Yugi's shoes that weren't hidden behind a wall. "Don't be afraid, come on in."

"Well, I'm not afraid of you, it's just…uh…you're kinda naked and…" Yugi said, his face flushing with pink. "Oh! Sorry, sorry!" The girl grabbed for her towel and wrapped it around herself. "All clear now!" she said, a giggle in her voice. Yugi peered around the edge of the wall and got a better look at the girl. She was about a foot taller than he was, and had light brown eyes.

"My name's Mana! What's yours?" she asked, holding out one of her hands to shake. Yugi shook her hand quickly, for he feared that without the support of two hands, that towel would fall to the floor. "My name's Yugi. I feel like we've met before, have we?" he asked, squinting to look closer at Mana.

"Hm…well what timeline are you from?"

"Excuse me? What?" Yugi asked in confusion.

"Like, what year were you born?" Yugi gave her the year he was born, but only after thinking about it for a few seconds._ That's odd, _he thought. "Oh," Mana said, face falling a bit. "Then I guess I wouldn't know you." _I could have sworn that I've seen her somewhere before. Maybe on TV? _Yugi pondered this for a while, but his thought process was cut off by Mana's question.

"…so are you ready to go?"

"I'm sorry, can you repeat the question?"

"Ra Almighty, you really _do_ have bad hearing!" Mana said in exasperation. "You should get that fixed. But anyway, I asked you if you're ready to go."

"Where are we going?" Yugi asked, getting more confused by the second.

"Didn't they explain this to you after you passed the test? I'm going to lead you to the check-in, where they'll figure out exactly _how_ you died, and…" Mana rambled on about the process of "checking in" while Yugi thought, _That's right. They all think that I'm just a soul arriving in the afterlife._

"…got that Yugi? Now are you ready to go?" she asked again.

"Oh, well yeah I guess. But first-"

"Good. Now follow me." Mana grabbed his hand and lead him down the steps of the garden. "Now, don't worry. The water's warm, and you'll get new clothes at check-in anyway." She pulled him into the water and they slowly waded across. _She was right, this is nice. _Yugi made sure to avoid crashing into any of the water plants as Mana dragged him along. As they stepped out of the garden, Yugi expected to feel heavy because his pant legs would be soaked, but he felt light. He looked down and saw that his pants were perfectly dry.

"EH?! Yugi, why are your clothes dry?" Mana asked, surprised.

"I don't know," Yugi said, not knowing the answer himself.

Mana shook her head in disbelief but pulled on Yugi's arm and lead him through a door that was opposite the entrance across the garden. Mana and Yugi walked through many halls that looked exactly the same as the first: white, high ceilings, beautiful carvings. Yugi would have gotten lost if it weren't for his guide. There were many doors as well. The doors were perhaps the only thing here that differed from one another. Some doors were solid colors; but not just regular colors, vivid shades of any color that you could imagine! There were some doors that had hieroglyphs on them, some had pictures of Egyptian gods or goddesses, and some even had Ancient Egyptian versions of Duel Monsters!

After many twists and turns, they arrived at their destination which could only be described as "woah". Yugi dimly recalled that this looked like the pharaoh's throne room. _This must be its afterlife version._ Nothing about the room was dark, as you might expect of a place where the dead roamed, but then again, neither was the water garden. The only things that were different were the hundreds of people clustered around, and standing where the throne used to be were the six priests, minus the Millennium Items.

Yugi's eyes were wide open when Mana looked at him and said, "Well, all we have to do now is wait in line!"

**Hahahaha, they have to wait in line! Oh, I'm too tired. Oh well! Please review, I promise that we'll get back to Yami/Atem's POV soon! See you soon~!**


	3. Chapter 3

As Yami walked up the stone stairs, he could hear nothing from above. Right about now, he would have expected at least a little noise. Sure there would be some tears shed because of his departure, but he would have thought that Honda and Jounouchi would be arguing over who got to sit in the front seat, or Kaiba would be making some crude comment about Jounouchi's outfit. But instead of these more happy sounds that Yami had imagined would take place after he left, reality replaced with dead silence.

After Yami's eyes adjusted to the bright desert sun, Yami saw that everyone was standing around, not knowing what to do. Out of the corner of his eye, Yami saw Ryuji walking over to the Jeep where Ryou was resting. He hadn't come downstairs with everyone because he was recovering from his fall down the stairs when Bakura had left his body to enter the pharaoh's memory world. Ryuji shook Ryou awake, and told him the news in a hushed voice.

Ryou shot up from his makeshift bed in the backseat. "What?" he asked in disbelief. Yami walked towards the Jeep to prove that what Ryuji said was really the truth. Ryou looked at Yami, and seeing that the Millennium Puzzle was not hanging around his neck, he whispered, "So…so it's true. Yugi really is gone…" Yami winced at Ryou's words and looked away. Somehow, with the words being spoken for the first time, Yugi's absence hit Yami full on. It was real now. Yugi was gone, and there was nothing that he could do.

"Hey!" Bakura's voice was sharp and clear in the heavy air. "Are we going to get moving or not? I doubt that any of you _want _to stay in the heat any longer than I do!" Ryou's eyes popped open. He threw off the jacket that was serving as a makeshift blanket and started to climb out of the Jeep. "Wait! Ryou, you really shouldn't be-" Ryuji said while trying to keep Ryou in the car and out of the hot sun. Ryou pushed Ryuji away and jumped out of the car. But he didn't get five steps away before he froze. Bakura's gaze drifted over to the Jeep and when he saw Ryou, he smirked. He walked towards Ryou and got as close as he could before Rishid grabbed his arm to keep him a safe distance from Ryou.

"Well…isn't _this _a sight?" Bakura sneered at Ryou. "Spirit and host, reunited again, face-to-face." Ryou trembled. "What? No, 'Welcome back Bakura, I missed you so much'?" he grinned menacingly.

"We-we were _never _friends…_Bakura_." Ryou spat out Bakura's name like it was poison. "Why are you here?" Now Ryou's voice took on a tone of panic, like he just realized that the spirit that had lived inside him was back. "Oh you're so cold, Yadonushi. You've changed." Bakura said, feigning hurt at Ryou's words. Ryou gulped as he looked at Bakura. "Answer the question!" he suddenly shouted, surprising everyone but Bakura.

Bakura rolled his eyes. "I'm sure that one of your friends can tell you all about our situation on the way back. I'm far too tired to do any more explaining today." Bakura yawned and stretched his arms above his head. "Let's get going, shall we?" he asked, speaking as if it wasn't a question, but more like a command.

Everyone looked at each other. They did want to get out of the heat, and they needed to start thinking of a plan of action to get Yugi back. Rishid grabbed Bakura's arm and led him to the Jeep that he was driving, along with Honda, Ryuji, and Jounouchi to make sure that Bakura didn't try to make a run for it. The Kaiba brothers got in their own car that they had brought with them, and Marik led the way back to the house that he, Rishid, and Ishizu all shared. That left Ryou, Anzu, Grandpa, and Yami to ride in the other Jeep with Ishizu.

Yami found himself sitting next to Grandpa Mutou, and he realized with a start that out of everyone who had witnessed Yugi's departure, Grandpa would be hurting the most. He had just lost his only grandson, the only family that he had left to carry on his legacy. When Yugi's father had left Yugi and his mother to survive on their own, the two of them had roomed with Yugi's grandpa on his dad's side. But when a few years later Yugi's mother died, Yugi was all alone with no one but his grandfather to raise him. Now, being a few years out of practice in raising a child, Grandpa Mutou mostly left Yugi to his own desires. He let the boy do whatever he wanted, within reason of course. Even so, the only thing Yugi ever asked for was to play games, and thankfully, that was something that Grandpa could supply him with. Even though Yugi was very quiet, he seemed to open up more when he was playing games, and that was how they had bonded, with Grandpa telling great stories about his gaming past, and Yugi listening intently, picking up whatever information that was put out there to learn. It was around his first year of high school when Duel Monsters came out, and that was the same time that Yami had come into his life in the form of the Millennium Puzzle. It was selfish of Yami to think that Yugi was the most important to _himself_, when that was not even close to the truth. Everyone had known Yugi much longer than Yami ever had, and it would make sense that they were closer to Yugi than Yami could ever be. Yami had only been a part of Yugi's life for a couple of years at most, and when he got to thinking about that time that they had spent together, dueling numerous villains and unlocking mysteries, he figured they _were_ friends, but they weren't on the same level as the others. Jounouchi, Honda, Anzu…they were on a level of friendship with Yugi that Yami could never reach, no matter how hard he tried.

Yami felt that he needed to comfort Grandpa, but he also felt that if he did, it wouldn't make a difference. They were all feeling the same way, and the rest of the trip to the Ishtar's house was completely silent.

**Sorry that this chapter was kinda short... but I hope that I cleared up a few things! See you soon! Peace.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Jeez, how long is this going to take?" Yugi muttered under his breath as he looked at the many people in front of him waiting in line. "Ra Almighty! Are you really _that_ impatient?" Mana asked, hands up on the back of her head. "Do you even know the stress that the priests are under right now?! Thousands of people die every day, and it's their job to reunite them with their families and friends. Not to mention all of the complications that have been going on," she added.

Yugi cocked his head to the side. "Complications?" he asked. "Mm," Mana nodded. "Lately, people have been disappearing, and we haven't been able to find them…"

Yugi was confused. "But ah, they're dead. There's only two places that they could be…" Mana turned around to meet him with fire in her eyes. "YOU IDIOT! This isn't as simple as you think!" Mana's hands were off of her head, and Yugi was afraid that he would soon find them around his neck. Mana seemed to realize what she was about to do and blinked. "Uwaa...that's the only thing that's wrong about the afterlife. I can't effectively use my death threats anymore," she moaned.

Yugi took a breath of relief. _Yeah, I guess if you're already dead, you've got nothing to lose! Oh, that reminds me…_ he thought. "Um, Mana, I've been meaning to tell you that-"

"That's Mana-_senpai_ to you! You obviously didn't pay attention to the orientation video that they were supposed to show you. I'll have to deal with those guys later, but for now, you will address me as your senpai! I will show you around and answer your questions, but, if you become annoying," Mana clapped her hands on Yugi's shoulders. "I WILL PERSONALLY THROW YOU INTO THE SANDS OF MEMORY!"

Yugi trembled in fear. Even his thoughts were in a panic. _The Sands of Memory sounds like a dark, lonely place, I don't want to go there!_ "Please don't send me there Mana-senpai, please don't!" he pleaded, close to tears. _Jeez, the afterlife really messes with your emotions. _"Oh, look! We're almost at the front of the line!" Mana replied happily. "Uhh…" Yugi slumped to the ground in exasperation. His senpai was bipolar. Most definitely. After his little meltdown, it only took a few more minutes to reach the front of the line. A man wearing reflective glasses and a toga was sitting in front of them behind a white stone table.

The table was covered with rolls upon rolls of parchment and lots of quill pens and bottles of squid ink to write with. The man didn't even look up as he asked monotonously, "Name?" Mana nudged Yugi. "Uh, Yugi Mutou, sir." The man shuffled through a pile of scrolls and finding a certain one, ran his finger down the list, seemingly looking for Yugi's name. He had looked through five scrolls until he looked up at Yugi and removed his glasses. Yugi shivered. The man had no eyes, just gaping black holes. Still, it seemed like his nonexistent eyes were staring into Yugi's soul. The man spoke, "You aren't on this list."

"Oh, come on Abasi, you tell that to everyone!" Mana said. "He has to be on the list, otherwise he wouldn't be here." Mana spoke like she knew way more than she did, and it was clear that it was annoying the man, Abasi. He looked right at Yugi and inspected him. "You do not belong here. Leave now." He motioned for him and Mana to leave and went back to his scrolls.

"Wait sir! You're right, I don't belong here. I came in place of my friend," Yugi exclaimed. This made Abasi sit straight up in his stone chair. "You came in place of your friend?" he asked.

"Yes, he was meant to come here, but I pushed him aside and entered the doors myself," Yugi explained. "You entered the doors to the afterlife? The Eye of Wdjat let you in?" Abasi seemed confused. Yugi just nodded thinking, _I'm not sure if this guy will understand me even if I explain more… _

Abasi frantically looked through some scrolls that were on the top of a stack labeled _IMPORTANT_. Abasi gulped and a bead of sweat rolled down his bald head. "Mutou. You need to come with me, you as well Miss Mana," Abasi said, taking a small "Closed" sign and placing it on his desk. Many people in line saw this and groaned loudly. "Just wait! It's not like you have any time to waste!" Abasi shouted. The people all threw angry remarks his way, but Abasi didn't even pay them any attention.

"Sheesh Abasi, living up to your name much*?" Mana asked sarcastically. "Come with me please," he said, showing Yugi and Mana down a hallway that was hidden behind the throne. This hallway was much less decorated, as if it wasn't meant for public eyes. They came to a doorway outlined in brown stone with steps leading down to a dim room. Yugi could hear snippets of conversation. "…when? He has to be coming soon…" "…can't be sure…" "Give him time…" Abasi cautiously descended the steps and motioned for Yugi and Mana to stay where they were.

"Abasi…? What are you doing down here?" someone asked. Abasi's reply went unheard by Yugi, but the people hidden in the dim light were exclaiming loudly, asking "What!?" among many other things. Abasi looked back up the stairs and motioned for the two teens to come and join him.

After Yugi's eyes adjusted to the dimness of the room, he was able to tell that the room was not very large, in fact, it contained only a fire pit rimmed with white stone and a few columns to support the ceiling. There appeared to be about five people in the room minus Abasi. One looked like a female, but other than that, Yugi's eyes weren't adjusted enough to notice anything else.

"So," a tenor voice sounded from the darkness. "This is him? The one that we have been waiting for?"

"It must be him, he looks just as we remember him! Do you not think so Mahado?" a raspy voice called out. "Can you be sure? The lighting in here isn't top notch," a deep voice asked.

"You dare to question the facts? Isis has foreseen that our king will arrive, and he himself set in stone a fail-proof plan to one day return to us!" a smooth voice argued.

"No, your lordship, you misunderstand me," Abasi's low voice penetrated the echoes in the room. "I am merely saying that while this boy bears a striking resemblance to the pharaoh, he says that his name is Yugi Mutou. The real reason I came to you is that he is nowhere to be found on our scrolls, and he claims to have come here by accident, by pushing his friend out of the way when trying to enter the afterlife."

The voices in the room were silent. The dim fire in the center of the room lit up slightly as the raspy voice spoke again. "Isis, what can you see?" A small glimmer of light appeared in front of Yugi, and a woman's voice said, "This boy before us has strong ties to our ancient lands, but I can sense a deeper connection with the modern world. He has the spirit of a martyr, protecting the one he loves most by taking his place." The woman spoke with a chilling voice, calming yet haunting. Yugi gulped at her words.

"Well, if you are a martyr, you cannot be that bad. And if you are an impostor, your deeds were not unrighteous enough to be punished. I suppose we can trust your words and let you stay here. For now," the first voice said.

"Thank you sir," Yugi mumbled gratefully, bowing low. "Mm," the man nodded. "Mana can show you around, I can see that you are already acquainted. You are dismissed." Abasi thanked the man for this audience then shoved Mana and Yugi up the stairs and out of the hallway.

"They will have an eye trained on you sir, so it might be in your best interest to keep low. I need to be getting back to work, but I would like to say that it was interesting meeting you. Goodbye." Abasi left them at the edge of the throne platform and returned to his desk where many impatient people were hunting through his scrolls trying to find their names.

"So ah," Mana bounced on the balls of her feet. "You're not dead?" Yugi chuckled. "No, at least the last time I checked I was still living."

Mana shrugged, apparently just going with it. "Well, that _would _explain why I don't remember ever meeting you. I am excited! I haven't talked to someone living for quite some time!"

"Really?" he asked. "Well I could tell you all about it, if you want."

"I would love that!" Mana exclaimed, taking Yugi's hands into her own.

Yugi smiled. "All right then. Where do I start?"

XXX

*** Abasi means stern in Egyptian.**

**Ah, an extra long chapter for all of those people who have been diligently following this story for months now without any updates. I'm soooooo sorry! I've been kinda a phantom author right now, because I haven't been getting as many writing ideas as I used to. Oh well. I really hope you guys liked this, it was fun to write! Hopefully new chapters will be coming soon! Until we meet again!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Hey... It's been awhile hasn't it? Yeah. It has. So let's do a thing! A thing where I write an almost 2K chapter for all of you, I say I'm sorry for not updating in five months, and everyone reviews what they think of this chapter! Honestly, guys, this was the hardest chapter for me to write, which is why it took five months to get here. :( I'm hoping to break the Curse of the Fifth Chapter (every 5th chapter that I have ever written has always turned out terrible.) Well, you don't want to hear the rest of my yapping, so here's the FIFTH CHAPTER...**

"Can you be sure? The citizens need not get their hopes up in vain."

"Yes, I am positive. The gods do not lie."

"What are you implying Karim? That perhaps he was confused and sent his modern self instead of his true Egyptian soul?"

"Of course not! I am just concerned for the eternal fate of our Pharaoh. Not all of us can share the bonds that you do with him, Seto."

"Trust me, the vision that I have received will not be false. The boy Mutou is no doubt the Pharaoh's modern-day self."

"Have faith, everyone. He will return in good time, when the trials of the world finally wear down and he is ready to be welcomed home."

"Thank you Akhenaden. Until the Pharaoh arrives, let us watch as the events play out as destiny has foretold."

xXx

"Who were those people down in that room?" Yugi asked Mana as they walked away from the throne room. "Well, those are our royal priests. I guess they are similar to your modern-day…what did you call them? Governors? Yeah, they advise the pharaoh in all of his decisions, but for now, until the Pharaoh returns, they rule the kingdom." she explained.

"I see. And… what were they talking about before we came in?" Yugi asked hesitantly.

"Mmm. Well, our pharaoh, the one from my time period, he sacrificed himself to end a great war, and his soul hasn't found its way home yet," Mana said with longing in her voice. "To protect us from danger, he locked his memories and our memories of him away. I don't even remember his name," she said solemnly. "But all of the priests assure us that he will come home soon."

Silence followed Mana's explanation. It seemed to Yugi that Mana, the priests, and everyone else was waiting for a pharaoh that would never return. But, in those silent moments in time with Mana, Yugi found himself wishing along with her that the Pharaoh would come home soon.

xXx

Yami found his thoughts were always drifting. His past… his friends and rivals… duel strategies… his mind was a swirling tornado whirling in chaos. Before he had unlocked his memories, it was the endless doors and staircases. He had been looking forward to finally having a clear path for him to walk upon, but it seemed that it was his destiny to be mentally unstable. At the center of this tornado: Yugi. It had been two months since Yugi had disappeared through the doors to the afterlife marked with the Eye of Wdjat, but it seemed even longer. He had never gotten used to the lack of Yugi's presence, because had become accustomed to sharing a body with Yugi. It still startled him when there was no one to talk to on sleepless nights, only the echoing silence of his mind. It brought him to tears when he looked across the hallway that had separated his and Yugi's minds and saw nothing but a blank wall. It was a lonely existence, similar to his time locked in the Millennium Puzzle, but now, the cold void inside the Puzzle's walls was now inside his heart. It was frightening knowing he had _allowed_ Yugi to leave him for the second time now. The first time, he knew that he might eventually save Yugi and all the other lost souls taken by the Orichalcos by defeating Dartz, and by the lasting hope in his deck, he won. But this was completely different. No one knew a way to get him back that was proven to work. Well, everyone who didn't leave to go back home that is.

The Kaiba brothers had long since left, Kaiba curtly saying, "I have a company to run. I can't stay here any longer." Mokuba had assured everyone that his big brother was feeling Yugi's loss, this was just his way of dealing with it. He also said that Kaiba Corporation would provide them with money that they might need to rescue Yugi. After that, the brothers departed in their helicopter and left. Jounouchi then called Shizuka, and informed the girl of all that had happened while she had stayed in Japan, waiting for everyone to return.

"Sis' look. I'm probably gonna be staying in Egypt for a while, and I don't want ya' staying by yourself. I definitely don't want ya' staying with our dad, so it looks like your only option is to stay with Mom."

"Katsuya! No, I want to stay here and hold down the fort until everyone comes home!" she protested. "I would feel a lot better if you stayed with Mom! I'm worried about you," Jounouchi replied, pleading with his sister. Ryuji, who had been in the room with Jounouchi as he made the call, came up and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey man, what if I went and stayed with her?" he helpfully suggested. Jounouchi just looked at him with a face of disbelief. Hand over his phone, he angrily whispered, "Do you think that I would let _you _go and stay with my baby sister? I know how boys think, so no."

"No offense Jou, but _you're _a boy. Stop acting like her dad already. I'm responsible and capable of protecting Shizuka from anyone who gets in her way," Ryuji answered. "You can trust me with your sis'." Jounouchi peered at Ryuji through squinted eyes. He looked him over a couple times, then sighed. "I have no other choice." He removed his hand from the phone and spoke to Shizuka again. "I've decided to allow Ryuji to watch over you in Japan." On the other line, Shizuka squealed. "Oh my gosh, thank you so much Onii-chan!"

"Hey! What did I tell you about the 'Onii-chan'? Just call me Katsuya! And I swear, if you two do _anything_, and you know what I mean by that, so help me I will ground _you_ and punch _his_ lights out!" Jounouchi almost yelled, his temper getting the better of him as he glared at Ryuji. "Oh my gosh Katsuya, you're not our dad!" Shizuka teased. "Yeah come on Jou, I have a great reputation!"

"You've got a reputation alright," Jounouchi muttered under his breath. "Ugh, just get on the plane to Japan so I don't have to look at you anymore." Jounouchi said goodbye to Shizuka and hung up. Ryuji left to pack his bags and headed off to the airport in the morning.

Less people were now staying in the Ishtars' small home, but it was still cramped. As the only females, Ishizu and Anzu slept in Ishizu's room, while the rest of the boys were shoved into Marik and Rishid's shared bedroom. Marik slept on his own bed, but Yami, Jounouchi, Honda, and Ryou had to sleep on the floor with limited blankets. Grandpa Mutou was allowed Rishid's bed and Rishid stayed in the sandstorm shelter with Bakura. That had been a problem at first. With his shaded past and his unpredictable personality, it was illogical for Bakura to live in the same quarters with everyone else, especially with the unstable Ryou, who was still recovering from his injury. But Ishizu had figured out that the sandstorm shelter would be perfect for him.

Living in Egypt, winds can't always be predicted in the weather forecast, so wealthier families build underground rooms where they can sit out the fluctuating storms without getting grains of sand in their eyes. The Ishtars had such a room, and decided that Bakura would live there, along with Rishid, until everyone had decided what to do with him. Bakura had actually been quiet about the whole situation. Everyone in the household barely heard of him except when Rishid gave them his daily report. That was great news for Ryou who, despite showing courage at the entrance to the tomb that held the doors to the afterlife, was still afraid of the spirit who had previously inhabited his body. Ryou had initially not wanted to stay in Egypt, so close to Bakura, but Ishizu denied his request. She said that his knowledge of the Millennium Items and being an ex-host for a spirit would aid them in their search for an answer. This is also why Grandpa stayed. Anzu and Honda had wanted Grandpa to go home and rest; as an old man, his health could fail at any minute, and there were no hospitals within a short distance. Grandpa had stubbornly refused, saying, "Yugi is the only living family I have left. I will see him back if it is the last thing I do!" No one dared to argue with him, so that was that, and everyone who stayed rallied behind Ishizu and Marik who lead most of the brainstorming sessions.

It would be a lie to call these sessions anything less than chaotic. They stayed up until the early hours of every morning, trying in vain to come up with any solution that could bring Yugi back. In the first month, everyone was very energetic and wasn't hesitant to voice any ideas, especially Yami, who looked to be on the brink of tears every time Yugi was mentioned. No one in the group was more committed than him. He barely got any sleep because he was up with Marik and Ishizu, who knew more about the Pharaoh and Ancient Egypt more than anyone, researching anything that could possibly help them find a clue of some sort. Countless hours were spent scrolling through pages of information online, but the real research was done out of the house.

A couple of times a week, the gang would go into rural areas, open-air markets and bazars, and listen to the older citizens of the city. These people could be their best bet. They have been around for longer, and usually have more folktales to tell than there is hours in the day. However, starting into the second month of Yugi's absence, without cropping up few clues, morale was drooping and some motivation was lost. Anzu in particular was starting to believe that they might have lost Yugi forever. "…I just don't see a way that we can ever get him back. I want to hold on to this slim hope, but I… I…" she confided in Ishizu one night. "We will get him back, you will see." Ishizu assured, rubbing Anzu's back like a mother would to a sobbing child. "We Tombkeepers waited for the Pharaoh to return for thousands of years, but we never gave up hope. Keep hold of your faith Anzu, and he _will _return." The younger girl nodded, and the pair settled in for bed, unaware that Yami had been outside the door, listening.

Yami was filled with an emotion that he could not place the name of. His stomach felt twisted and every pulse of his heart felt like a hammer against his ribs. He frantically ran outside, wanting so desperately to get away from it all, away from Anzu and her doubts, away from the sleepless nights spent in worry. But most of all he wanted to get away from this feeling of loneliness and despair. Anzu's words had hit him hard, and her doubts were starting to seep into his mind. _What if we never get him back? What will I do then? _He broke out of the front doors and collapsed on his knees in the cooling sand. He looked up at the black stars that seemed to agree with his thoughts.

"…Yugi…" he choked out before he broke down in tears. He dug his fingers into the sand, in an attempt to keep a hold on the world. At this moment, clouds covered the dark sky and rain began to fall. The sky itself was weeping along with Yami, and they mourned together the rest of the night.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello Readers! I'm back with another chapter! This one is closer to the average 1K word count. (Last chapter was 2K because there was no good spot to break off the chapter. I couldn't just leave you guys on a cliffhanger!) I hope you like this one!**

Yami paced back and forth in the Ishtar's kitchen, wearing a hole in the carpet. He couldn't help it. He had so much nervous energy that he couldn't keep still. He barely slept these days. As soon as his eyelids started drooping, he dreamt of Yugi. The dreams were so real, he woke up with tears in his eyes knowing that it was just a dream. A fantasy. No matter how much he wished for it, Yugi wouldn't suddenly appear in front of him, smiling like always. _Thank Ra that the Ishtars have coffee, _he thought fleetingly before continuing his mindless pacing.

Anzu and Jounouchi stood at the entrance to the kitchen, unnoticed by the preoccupied ex-king. The two friends looked at each other and Jounouchi nodded. He cautiously approached Yami and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey man, how ya doing?" he asked, trying to hide his flinch when Yami looked at him with bloodshot eyes. Upon realizing who was talking to him, Yami stopped pacing and answered, "Fine I suppose." Jounouchi bit his lip and looked back at Anzu. Anzu gave him a reassuring thumbs up.

Hesitantly, Jounouchi spoke. "Well, I've – we've been thinking…um, maybe we should take a sort of break. You know, just the four of us – me, you, Anzu, and Honda – we could go on a trip to lighten our spirits, and to…" Jounouchi stopped talking at the sight of Yami's glare.

"Take a break?" he asked incredulously. "Yugi is still stuck in the afterlife Jounouchi. I won't rest until he's back home. I can't afford to take any breaks."

"But you can't help Yugi when you're struggling to keep yourself on your feet like this! Look at you! We're trying as best as we can to get him out of there man, but we can't do it without your help, and right now you're an emotional wreck!" Jounouchi countered. "Jounouchi…" Anzu warned from her position at the door.

"Jounouchi. You don't understand. Every passing second I'm away from Yugi, our bond weakens. I can't risk going anywhere. I could completely lose my only connection with him! You can't possibly know how this feels!" Yami exclaimed, staring Jounouchi straight in his eyes.

Jounouchi glared and picked Yami up by his shirt front and yelled, "Of course I know how this feels! Everyone who ever knew Yugi and got the chance to be his friend knows! We've _all _created and shared bonds with him, don't be so selfish as to think that you're the only one feeling this pain!" Jounouchi brought a fist back and slammed it into Yami's gut, sending him down to the floor. He hit the floor with a loud bang, but there was silence immediately after. It was so quiet that you could hear each boy's individual heavy breaths. It felt like an eternity before Jounouchi spoke.

"Yugi was the greatest guy I know. I might not know everything about him, but I do know that he wouldn't let something depressing get in the way of his friendships. Yugi wouldn't want us to be moping about with no energy. He would want us to be having a good time, even if it was without him." Jounouchi walked over to the table and placed a slip of paper on it. "Just in case you change your mind, we leave at ten o'clock tomorrow morning." He grabbed Anzu's trembling hand and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Yami behind to think it over.

A small voice in his head said, _Yes. Go with them, you need to take your mind off of this for a while. _Yami shook his head. _I can't. I'll lose Yugi. _Suddenly, the room became dark and Yami saw a familiar tuft of tri-colored hair on the floor. "Yugi!" he screamed. He picked up the hair and started running. Soon, the darkness turned into sand-colored bricks. He was in his soul room. Around a corner, he saw a flap of blue fabric disappear. "Wait!" Yami continued to run and run, determined to find Yugi, even if he had to open every door in his room. After a time, he found himself at a metal door with the Eye of Wdjat painted on it. _This is new_, he thought. He opened the door, no sound coming from the hinges on it. The room was dark, but there was a silhouette of a figure that Yami knew even better than his own standing in the middle of the room. He turned around and gave Yami a small smile. "Hey there _mou hitori no boku_." Yami's breath caught in his throat as he raced towards Yugi. He reached out to grab his arm, but Yugi's arm dissolved like smoke at his touch.

"Yami…I'm just an illusion. You can't touch me," Yugi whispered. Yami faltered in his steps. There was silence between the two. Yami attempted to break it by asking, "Why…?"

"…did I go?" Yugi finished for him. Yami gave a hesitant nod. Yugi – or his illusion, that is – looked down, and when he looked Yami in the eyes again, they were filled with tears. "I couldn't bear seeing you go," he answered, water rolling down his cheeks. Yami bit his lip. "But it _should _have been me! My fate was to walk through those doors and leave _you_! I have no future, but you had your entire life ahead of you! You could have graduated, went on to college, even have a family if you wanted to!" Yami shouted, his voice getting caught in his throat. "I _wanted _for you to leave me behind, Yugi. I don't belong in this world, so why? I know that you would have gotten over me eventually, so why?"

Yami's heavy breathing filled the silence. When he spoke, Yugi didn't meet Yami's eyes. "Because…because my heart would have never healed." Yami let out a sound of surprise. "Sure, I would have put on a happy face for everyone, but on the inside? I would have been endlessly tortured. To never talk to you again, or share my thoughts with you, that's what I fear the most! I wanted you to stay behind because my friends have only begun to truly share their friendship with you Yami. I want you to know what it's like to have a true friend!" The tears that were present in Yugi's violet eyes had now been transferred into Yami's crimson ones. His voice cracking, Yugi continued, "That's why I want you to go with Jounouchi, Anzu, and Honda tomorrow! I want you to create bonds with them so you can experience true friendship! Not just with me, but everyone around you!"

"Y-Yugi…" Yami stuttered, overwhelmed with emotion. "But what if I never see you again? If I go, I'm farther from you! I want to hold my memories of you close to me always!"

"Yami," the younger boy smiled genuinely through his tears. "If your memories are that precious to you, you'll never really lose me. I'll always be around, even if you can't see me. Please, Yami… for me. Do this for me.

Yami, tears rolling down his tanned cheeks, nodded. The room started to glow with white light and Yami shouted, "This isn't goodbye!" Then the room exploded in blinding light.

**A/N: (GUYS I JUST FINISHED DEATH NOTE AND THAT ENDING WAS NOT OK I MEAN I'M DYING OVER HERE PLEASE HELP) Ah, thanks for listening to my explosion of feels. No one else in my family watches anime with the same passion that I do, so I had no one to fangirl with... ANYWHO! I hope you guys liked this one! I think I broke the Curse of the Fifth Chapter, so thanks for making that happen! So, I am currently typing up the next chapter of this story, so it should come along pretty quickly! :) See you soon!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Woot! Two chapters in one day! I feel so accomplished today! I also ordered my cosplay for Anime Expo this year! If any of you see me there, come and say hi! I'm going on the 4th and I'll be cosplaying as Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket! Now, enjoy this chapter!**

Jounouchi, Anzu, and Honda waited at the airport terminal with their carry-ons hanging at their sides. Anzu mindlessly checked her watch, even though the minute hand hadn't moved in the last thirty seconds. "Hey, Jounouchi, what did he say exactly?" Honda asked, twiddling his thumbs.

"Come on, Honda I already told ya. He doesn't want to be apart from Yug'," Jounouchi put his chin in his palm and rested it on the armrest. "He's ridiculous! I mean, I can understand where he's coming from. I want to get Yug' back as fast as possible, but we're not gonna get anything done if we just sit around feeling sorry for ourselves all the time!" he finished, smacking his fist on the rest.

"I agree," a deep voice behind them said. All three heads whipped around as fast as lightning to see who the voice was. Standing behind them, with a small backpack slung over his shoulder, was Yami Mutou. "Yami!" Anzu exclaimed. "How did you get here?"

"Marik let me borrow his motorcycle. He's going to pick it up in an hour or so. He wouldn't want anything to happen to it," he explained, a smile present on his usually stoic face. "I can understand a guy's love for his bike," Honda piped in. Anzu giggled. Jounouchi got up from his chair and approached Yami.

"So… what made you decide to come along?" he asked, stopping a foot away from Yami and glaring down at him. Yami met his gaze and replied calmly, "I realized that I'm still here for a reason."

"And that reason is…?" Jounouchi continued, disbelief apparent on his facial features. Yami looked confidently into each of his friends' eyes. "I realized that the reason Yugi left in my place was so I could strengthen the bonds I have with all of you," he answered. They all smiled, Jounouchi putting a hand on Yami's shoulder. "Well of course! I knew that!" Jounouchi smirked.

"Like they say, 'We're all in this together!'" Honda sang. Everyone bust up laughing. It felt good to go back to the way it once was, before any of this happened, just to be a teenager laughing with friends.

A woman's voice came on over the intercom: "The flight headed for Tokyo at Gate F-4 is now boarding. Flight 5609 to Tokyo at Gate F-4 is boarding now."

"That's us! Let's get on!" Anzu said, gathering up her bags. The boys grabbed their bags as well and followed Anzu onto the plane. She fast-walked up the steady incline and sat down in her seat before anyone else. She patted the seat next to her and beckoned for Yami to sit next to her. "Here, Ya-I mean, Atem! I left you the window seat!"

"Thanks Anzu," he threw his small backpack under the carpet-covered chair and sat down. "And it's alright. You can call me Yami, it's probably too much to ask for you guys to get used to my name." Anzu shook her head. "Mm-m. We all worked so hard to find your real name, it feels like a privilege to speak it," she said, blushing lightly. Yami smiled. "Alright then, call me Atem." Anzu's smile widened. "'Kay!"

Yami, settling in, was relieved that Anzu _wanted_ to call him Atem. He was afraid that he would sound like a jerk if he asked them to call him that. He felt that 'Yami' was a special name, reserved only for Yugi's use. He didn't want it to lose its value, if that made any sense at all. At this time, the flight attendant gave her speech about safety and turbulence. Everyone buckled up and Yami gripped his armrests. He had never been on a plane before, a boat being his preferred method of travel. Of course he had been on Kaiba's helicopter and blimp in Battle City, but this was completely different. Yugi wasn't here for him to switch out with so no one could see his fear. Yami had consulted Marik on how to deal with his fear in public. "You'll feel like a force is pushing you forward for a while, and then it will feel like your ears are going to explode! But then, it's smooth sailing from then on and you'll feel like you're floating," he had said when describing take-off. The description in of itself was terrifying, but Yami was willing to take a leap of faith on this metal bird if it was for his friends.

The lights above his seat blinked, alerting him that take off would commence…now! He quickly buckled up as the plane rolled over the landing strip. It was just as Marik had described, but he had failed to mention the deafening roar of the engines! He peeked out the window to see if they had crashed yet. To his surprise, they had not crashed, but were already soaring high above the ground. The airport was just a small speck receding from his vision until he could no longer see it. He calmed down when the flight attendant announced that they were now at a comfortable cruising speed. Anzu whipped out her phone and started up a movie, Jounouchi was shuffling through his deck, and Honda had his earbuds in, listening to whatever music Hondas liked.

Yami looked out the window at the vast expanse of Egyptian sand beneath them, waiting until it would turn into the blue ocean. _Just you watch Aibou, I'll figure out a way to get you back, just like I promised. But don't worry, I'm doing as you've asked me. I'll have fun with our friends, and then I will definitely come and get you! _And with that, he closed his eyes and didn't open them until the plane landed in the Tokyo International Airport.


	8. Chapter 8

**Wow, update much? nope. I'm sorry to all the people I've left hanging for a year+...**

"Man! That was a long flight! Twelve and a half hours? I think I've got a kink in my back from sleeping on those seats!" Jounouchi complained, stretching his arms above his head after they had left the airport. "That's weird, I slept fine," Honda replied, running his hands through his sleep-tousled hair. "That's because you were listening to a loop of High School Musical music! Those songs could put anyone to sleep!" Anzu retorted. "That's not true! 'Fabulous' is super upbeat and…"

As Honda and Anzu bickered over the High School Musical soundtrack, Yami was checking the train schedule at the station just outside Tokyo International Airport. They would be getting on the 10:30pm train, the last one of the night, and heading non-stop to Domino city. Thankfully it was only a two hour ride, and when they arrived there, they would grab a taxi and head to the Kame Game shop where they would be staying for the duration of the trip. As Anzu and Honda's argument continued to rain down on his ears, Yami was grateful for Japanese culture dictating that passengers were to remain silent on trains. He attempted to break up Anzu and Honda's argument before they would have to board the train, but it was no use. Yami tried to get Jounouchi to talk some sense into them, but he was (of course) no help. He joined in on the fight, on Honda's side no less. Yami couldn't care less about stereotypical American teeny-bopper music, all he wanted was to get some sleep. He was never able to fall asleep on the plane; even after he got used to flying, the engines were too loud. He still heard the constant beat in his ears!

The train pulled into the station effortlessly and the gang, along with an elderly lady with some groceries, got on. Anzu and Honda continued their argument silently, giving each other death glares and other dirty gestures. Yami wondered where Anzu learned all of those hand motions. _Probably from Jounouchi_, he thought with a smile. Jounouchi was supposed to be planning the entire trip, and he had lots of fun things in store, but Anzu had to butt in a few times to remind him that there were only twenty-four hours in the day, and no, we could _not _go sky-diving. Yami grinned even wider knowing that his friends were doing this all for him to try and cheer him up. The train stopped for the old lady about an hour into the ride, and it wasn't long after that that the train arrived at Domino City Station. Jounouchi was about the only one in the group who was awake enough to hail a cab, and by the time they got to the Kame Game shop even he was dragging his feet. Anzu retreated into Grandpa's room, Jounouchi and Honda slept on the living room couch, and Yami went into the room he and Yugi had shared. Yami was so exhausted that as soon as he fell on the bed, his eyes closed and he fell into a deep sleep.

Yugi and Mana were picking berries in the palace garden. It had been Mana's idea; she wanted Yugi to see every part of the palace, and the strawberries were finally in season! It was very relaxing; the blue skies above them open and welcoming while the cool grass beneath Yugi's feet tickled his toes. He reached out to a bush and plucked a juicy red berry right off the vine. He paused before placing it in his basket. For some reason, it looked familiar, but he didn't know why. With a shrug of his shoulders, he brushed it off and dropped the berry. Yugi placed his basket on his hip and shielded his face from the noonday sun, there were almost no clouds. _What day is it? _He thought absentmindedly. It felt like only a few days had passed since he met Mana in the water garden. His thoughts swirled around his mind and when he took a step forward, he swayed a little. He shook his head. _The heat must be getting to me. _Recovering his balance, he continued on towards the other bushes.

Somewhere in between his floating thoughts, he heard a voice call out. "…hey, Yugi! Yugi!" Mana shouted at him from across the garden, finally getting his attention. "Hm, were you talking to me?" he asked, a dazed expression on his face. "Of course I was talking to you! You are the only Yugi in this garden are you not?" Mana asked, half-joking, half-serious. "…oh, I guess I would be Yugi then…" he mumbled. Mana put down her basket, walked over to the young boy, and placed her hands on Yugi's face, looking into his hooded eyes. "Do you feel alright? You look awfully pale."

"Yes, I'm…fine…" Yugi muttered, struggling to get the words out. Mana scrunched up her face. "I do not believe you. I am taking you to Priestess Isis so she can evaluate your condition." Yugi slowly shook his head and tried to follow Mana towards the garden gate, but fell forward and collapsed in Mana's arms, berries from his basket scattering the ground.

"Yugi? Yah, Yugi! Wake up! Oh my gods, _help_! Someone please help!" she shouted, desperately looking around. She grabbed Yugi's hand. _He's so cold… _Out of the corner of her eye she saw a tall man walk past the garden. She yelled out, "Mahado! Mahado, please help me!" Mahado glanced over towards where Mana's voice was ringing from, then ran out into the garden when he saw Yugi's slumped frame in Mana's arms.

He grabbed Yugi's arm and said, "Quickly, we will take him to my quarters." Mana lifted up his other arm and the two of them carried Yugi's limp body through the palace halls and into Mahado's private quarters. They quickly arrived at the spacious room and laid Yugi down on the feather mattress. "Mahado, whatever is the matter with him?"

"I do not know, go fetch Isis, she should know something of this," Mahado said, a hard expression on his usually gentle face. Mana left Mahado to watch over the boy as she ran out of the room. Desperately racing through the palace halls, Mana suddenly bumped into the aforementioned priestess whilst turning a corner. "Mana…?" Isis questioned the panting girl. "Shouldn't you be in your studies?" Not wasting time on an explanation, Mana grabbed Isis's wrist and dragged her to Mahado's quarters.

"Mana, whatever is the matter?" Isis asked, dragged relentlessly behind the young apprentice. "I-it's Yugi! The two of us were in the garden, and he suddenly turned pale and collapsed! He's not waking up!"

After cutting a few corners a little too close, the women arrived in Mahado's quarters, finding the priest kneeling down by Yugi's body as if in prayer. "Yugi…" Mana gasped, bringing her hands up to her face in distress. Isis quickly crossed the room and joined Mahado. It seemed as if an eternity passed as the two priests discussed Yugi's condition in low voices. "I feared this would happen…" Isis muttered. Hearing her words, Mana started to chew her nails, and after a few more minutes, she couldn't take it anymore.

"What…what's happening to him? What is wrong?" the poor girl asked.

Isis stood up. "His body is rejecting this environment."


End file.
